4 simple steps to get AWS Certified
Getting Certified in Cloud is becoming a prerequisite these days. More and more jobs are asking people to learn and get certified in cloud for a variety of reasons. Whatever it may be — certification journey requires you to sit for an exam, prepare for it and pass the test.
On top of that, you have so many certifications to sit for, so which one would you choose? How would you actually plan and pass the exam?
These were the questions I had when I had first started taking AWS certification exams. I’m a 3xAWS Certified developer now — and I followed these myself for each of the exam I had written — Cloud Practitioner, Developer Associate and Solutions Architect Associate.
So.. are you trying to get certified in AWS and not sure how to get started?
Just follow these 4 steps -
1. Choose your path
AWS has a lot of certifications for different levels, specialties and career paths.
For example, if you’re a business analyst looking to gain a basic knowledge about the cloud space Cloud Practitioner is the best fit for you. If you’re a Developer looking to move to architectural roles, you have the Solutions Architect path.
AWS provides a detailed list of the career paths and the recommended certifications for the same. You can find it here — https://d1.awsstatic.com/training-and-certification/docs/AWS_certification_paths.pdf
**Most popular among these paths is of Application Architect or Cloud Engineer, where you will have to sit for the Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) and Developer Associate (DVA-C02) certifications.
After you’ve chosen your exam, go ahead and schedule it FIRST! You will then know your deadline. I’d suggest give yourself 3–4 weeks of time for preparation. So pick a date that is 3–4 weeks away from your start point.
2. Prepare for the Exam — Study Materials
After you have decided for the certification path and picked up the certification to sit for, it is important to find the right resources and study materials.
I highly suggest these courses from Udemy, where I myself studied for the exams. Trust me, these courses are sufficient for you to gain the right amount of knowledge for the exam. Always remember — you need to study just the right amount for the exam you’re taking — over studying will only overwhelm you.
Developer Associate (DVA-C02)
Ultimate AWS Certified Developer Associate 2023 NEW DVA-C02
AWS Certified Developer Associate 2023 — DVA-C02
Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)
Ultimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate SAA-C03
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate 2023 — SAA-C03
I personally found Stephane Marek and Jon Bonso’s courses working for me. You can also find many such wonderful courses such as Cantrill or other awesome instructors, just pick the ones that is working for you and get started.
Keep in mind that these courses are over 24 hours of duration, which in my personal opinion can’t be completed in a single day. Just plan a week time and spend atleast 2 hours everyday. Consistency matters. TAKE NOTES!
3. Practice Tests!
Once the preparation is done, the next step is to evaluate your knowledge. What better way can do this by writing mock tests! Thankfully, you can also find many such practice tests on Udemy.
Personally I picked up these for my exam practice.
These are the best, I’d say!
Developer Associate (DVA-C02)
AWS Certified Developer Associate Practice Exams
Practice Exams | AWS Certified Developer Associate 2023
Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Practice Exams
Practice Exams | AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate
Make sure that you’re passing all the practice tests and reviewing every question — whether you’ve answered it correctly or not and TAKE NOTES! You can also find many mock questions on the internet, just skim through those questions two days before the exam.
DON’T MEMORIZE THOSE ANSWERS or PANIC IF YOU GET THEM WRONG.
It’s just an additional step. I also found these cheat sheets of TutorialsDojo super useful — https://tutorialsdojo.com/aws-cheat-sheets/
4. Its time for the Exam!
You have completed your preparation and have practiced enough. You have spent enough time. You learnt enough.
Just a day before the exam, just skim through your NOTES that you have been preparing all these days. Do nothing else. Just revise.
On the day of the exam, cheer yourself up for all the effort and hard work that you have put.
Get into the exam confidently. Don’t panic when you find a question tough or not able to answer.
Use the flag option and quickly move to the next ones. You can spend a maximum of 2 minutes on each question, but don’t go beyond 30 seconds.
Just remember that out of 65 questions, only 50 questions are considered for scores. So you’ll never know. Just do your stuff and relax!
I hope these 4 simple steps will help you gain clarity and get started in your Cloud Certification Journey!
